A LEGISLATOR has filed a bill mandating a total gun ban to address the spate of killings and violence in the country.

House Bill 2206, introduced by Balane-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson of Nueva Ecija, also mandates the National Police and other law-enforcement agencies to use nonlethal weapons in enforcing the law.

Joson filed the bill even as he stressed the urgent need to revisit the campaign for a gunless society.

“One needs only to scan daily newspapers to see numerous accounts of victims and abuses by gun-toting individuals,” said Joson.

Joson said that despite the move to have all guns registered and their use regulated, still, countless incidents of violence and improper use of guns continue to persist.

“Countless lives have been lost, in the realm of politics, business, ideology, religion and even in the personal affairs of the citizenry, because of the lack of truly effective system for the control and use of guns,” Joson said.

This is happening, he said, “because deadly weapons are accessible to the citizenry and therefore open to abuse.

“The times now call for a reexamination of our laws regarding the possession and use of guns and firearms,” Joson added.

53 more Magdalo members released

THE Armed Forces released from detention on Thursday 53 of the 54 noncore leaders of the Magdalo who have earlier admitted to the charges after President Arroyo commuted their seven-year sentence by one month, allowing them to spent the holidays with their families as free men—but civilians.

THE government will likely operate under a reenacted 2007 budget by January 1 owing to the failure of a bicameral conference committee to hammer out a consolidated final version of the P1.23- trillion spending bill for 2008 before the yearend.

THE wife of jailed provincial broadcaster Alexander Adonis has expressed fear for the safety of her husband after learning that the latter was illegally taken out of prison for a purported check-up on December 11.

THE environmental watchdog Eco Waste Coalition on Thursday renewed its campaign against the use of firecrackers and reminded the people of its hazardous effect to human and animal health, as well as the environment.

A LEGISLATOR has filed a bill mandating a total gun ban to address the spate of killings and violence in the country.

THE Ilusorio-Africa group, that constitutes one of the two boards of director of the government-sequestered Philippine Communications Satellite Corp., (Philcomsat) used mere letters signed by the former chairman of the Government Service Insurance System and the solicitor general to replace the presidential appointees in the Philcomsat group, belying its claim it represents the government in these corporations.